Led Zeppelin 11

Great point @lowrider57. I have seen lots of factory-made scratch-outs of matrix numbers in the run-out grooves of new (factory-sealed) LP's.

Thanks @audioguy85, I stand corrected. I heard about Port obscuring the dead wax info somewhere, and assumed it was in fact true. That’ll teach me!

I myself bought only one LP from Tom, and not because it was a hot stamped LP. In fact, I don’t think Port was yet using the term when I got from him a German pressing of Magical Mystery Tour. The German pressing is desirable instead because it was the only version at that time (early/mid-90's) which was in true stereo. Both the UK and USA LP’s were reprocessed/fake stereo, as bad an invention as the record business has ever foistered on the public!

Better Records’ Tom Port obscures the pressing info contained in the run out groove of the LP’s he sells by adding his own scratches (not cool, imo), in order to make identifying a white hot stamper (as defined by him. When I visited his apartment in the early-mid-90’s, his hi-fi was decidedly mid-fi---a receiver, record changer, and bookshelf loudspeakers. Perhaps he has a more transparent, resolving system today. Or perhaps not. Rare record dealers are most often not audiophiles) impossible.

RL pressings of LZ 2 are not that that to find; I found one in VG+ condition locally for $40. Was it a white hot stamped pressing? I don’t know---I’m not a fan of LZ, and left the LP for someone who is. Unlike TP, I’m not a greedy pig.